Method of making metal ties



(No Moiiel.) 4 SheetsSheet 1. H. AIKEN.

METHOD OF MAKING METAL TIES. No. 411.117. Patented Sept. 17,1889.

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WITNESSES:

INVENTOR, E

M Attys,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. AIKEN.

METHOD OF MAKING MET L TIES.- No. 411,117. Patented Sept. 1'7, 1889..

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR,

N. PETERs. Pnemmho h r. Washington. 0. C,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3'. H. AIKEN. METHOD OF MAKING METAL TIES.

No. 411,117. Patented Sept117, 1889.

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1 UNITED STATES 1 PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY AIKEN, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF MAKING METAL TIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,117, dated September 17, 1889.

Application filed May 29, 1889. Serial No. 312,643. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY AIKEN, of Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Method of Making Metal Ties, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a metal blank from which a railway-tie is formed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank after it has been treatedin accordance with the first step of my method. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank after it has been treated by the second step. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line IV IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line V V of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the finished tie. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section on line VII VII of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-section on line VIII VIII of Fig. 6. Fig; 9 is a front elevation of a machine which I have devised for the practice of my invention. Fig. 10 is a Vertical cross-section on line X X of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 isan enlarged vertical section of the machine in the position which the parts occupy at the conclusion of the operation of bending the metal tie. Fig. 12 is a similar section showing the machine as it is when its work is completed and when its parts are restored to their normal position. Fig. 13 is a horizontal cross-section on line XIII XIII of Figs. 9 and-14. Fig. 14 is avertical longitudinal section taken as on the line XIV XIV of Fig. 13.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

The article which is made by means of my.

improved method is shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying drawings and is a railway-tie of known construction and possessing many features of advantage. It consists of apiece of plate metal having in themiddle portion a cavity 0 upwardly-bent lips c at the ends of said cavity, upright lateral flanges 0 provided with notches c and bolt or spike holes 0 My invention consists in making such tie in the manner hereinafter described, and specific. lly stated in the claims. I

In the practice of my invention I take a fiat metal plate B, such as shown in Fig. 1, and

also, holes 0 in line with the ends of the slot b and at the distance apart equal to the intended distance between the rear ends of the lips c. I may also form by the same cutting operation the notches c and the holes 0 as shown in Fig. 2, though this is not necessary, since these may be formed subsequently. Then by means of a suitable bending-machine I bend up the vertical flanges 0 and finally shear the plate on parallel lines o c, the effect of which is to out out the plate and form a cavity 0 therein between the slots b, and alsoto cut out the sides of the lips c, which may simultaneously be bent into the required inclined positions. The operation maybe varied by forming the slots 1) after the lateral flanges have been bent; but this is not so desirable, since by cutting these slots before the bending of the flanges and simultaneously with the cutting of the notches o and holes 0 I reduce the number of steps in forming the tie to two, and thereby simplify and cheapen the method. q

The main feature of my invention, however, consists in the bending of the lateral flanges before cutting out the middle of the tie and in the cutting of the slotsb as a means of determining the length of the cavity and of the ends of the lips c. The advantage derived from this succession of steps is that thereby I prevent that bending and distortion of the plate which would result from an attempt to bend the flanges after the central portion has 'been sheared out, and which hitherto has constituted a serious practical difficulty in the manufacture of such ties. The advantage derived from forming the slots 1) before shearing the plate is that I am thereby enabled to shear out the central cavity, and also to bend the lips c as part of the same operation. The function of the holes 0 0, preferably formed in the plate, is to limit the extent of the shearing action of the dies or cutters and to prevent the overrunnin g of the cut and the cracking of the plate which might occur if the material thereof were veryhard and brittle.

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate too a machine which I have devised for the practice of my invention, and which I claim in a separate patent application, Serial No. 310,426, filed on May 11, 1889, and I shall now proceed to describe it, premising that my invention is not limited strictly thereto, since by proper mechanical changes such as will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art the machine may be modified in various ways.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the bed-plate of the machine.

3 are upright frames constituting guides in which the head or plunger moves, and which for this purpose are made of strong metal castings, as shown in Figs. 9 and 11.

4 is a cap or entablature which connects the upright frames, and 5 are strong bolts or rods which hold the entablature to the bedplate.

The moving head U is a strong cast frame set between the upright guides and connected by rods or belts with the plungers of doubleacting cylinders 1, mounted on the entablature and provided with inlet and outlet ports at opposite ends, so that the plungers can be moved in either direction by proper management of the valves. The moving head is on one side provided with a series of cutters or dies for cutting or slotting the metal blank, and on the other side is provided with shearing and bending mechanism for subsequently acting thereon. The cutters or dies 7 are mounted on stools or supports 8 on the upper side of the moving head, and their counterparts or companion dies or cutters 9 are fixed to the under side of the entablature.

In the operation of cutting the metal blank shown in Fig. 1 is interposed between the entablature and the moving head, and is cut by the dies on the ascent of the latter, so as to produce therein cuts of the form shown in Fig. 2. To the under side of the moving-head is bolted a knife-head 10 the base of which at the middle part is formed in the doubleangled shape shown in Fig. 11, and on each side of this part of the knife-head is secured a square-edged knife or cutter 11, (shown in Figs. 11 and 12,) so that between the knives there is an intermediate cavity, the base of which is of the doubled-angled form above mentioned. The knife-head is also provided with a slot or cavity 6, into which project the heads of the bolts by which the knife-blades are secured, so that the exterior faces of such blades shall be perfectly plain and shall afford no obstruction to the bending of the edges of the metal plate in the manner hereinafter described.

A11 anvil-plate or casting 12 is bolted to the bed-plate of the machine beneath the knife-head 10, the middle part of the anvil being slotted to permit ascent of the moving knife and bender, hereinafter to be described, and the remaining portion of the anvilbeing flat, so that, in connection with the opposite part of the knife-head 10, it may be capable of holding tightly an interposed plate or blank. (See Fig. 9.) The lower knife 13 consists of blades fixed to the end of a plunger or knife-head 14c, and conjointly of proper cross-sectional area to enter the space between the knives 11. The edges of these blades are made of angled form corresponding to the angle of the base of the cavity of the upper knives, so that they shall have a shearing action on the metal and shall bend and shape it in the manner hereinafter described.

The knife head 11 extends vertically through the bed-plate, and at the lower end is keyed to the plunger 16 of a hydraulic cylinder 15, which by means of bolts and separators 23 is secured to the bed of the machine.

For the purpose of forming the marginal flanges on the metal plate or blank I employ bending devices consisting of metal bars 17, madein form of sectors of cylinders, having at their ends journals which are set in suitable bearings 18 on the machine-frame. Normally these sectors occupy the position shown in Fig. 10, one side of each being flush with the level of the anvil-plate 12 and underlying a marginal portion of the metal plate or blank. They are operated to bend the plate by being turned axially on their journals by the following mechanism: At the middle of each of the bending-bars is formed a peripheral series of gear-teeth, and on each side of the machine is a rack-bar 19, whose teeth are in gear with the teeth on the bending-bar, and which are attached to or form parts of the plungers 20, working within hydraulic cylinders 21, which are bolted to the bed of the machine. The rack-bars 19 move in cavities in the bed-plate and are hacked and supported by strong re-enforcements or bosses 22, formed 011 the latter. 7

The manner of operation of the machine is as follows: The plate or blank B, (shown in Fig. 1,) having been interposed between the dies 7 and 9, is cut by the ascent of the moving head, and is brought thereby into the form shown in Fig. 2. It is then placed upon the anvil-plate 12 and is held firmly by depressing the knife-head lO'thereon, as shown in Fig. 9. lVhile in this position the lateral margins of the plate are bent into upright positions by elevating the plungers 20, thereby turning the sectors on their axes and bringing them into the positions illustrated in Fig. 11. The plunger 16 of the cylinder 15 is then raised by admitting motive fluid within the latter, and the knife 13 is thus forced against the plate toward the cavity between the up per knives, and thereby by the edges of these knives a piece is sheared out from the middle of the plate between the transverse slots Z: 1), Figs. 2 and 3, and the plate is slit outwardly from these slots to holes 0 c, and at the same time the faces of the lower knives bend up within said cavity the lips 0, formed by Sill ting the plate in the manner just described. The parts of the machine are then in the position shown in Fig. 11. To remove the metal.

IIO

tie, the bending-sectors are drawn back by exhausting the water from their motive cylinders, and the upper and lower knives are retractedin one case by exhausting the water from the cylinder 15 and in the other case by reversing the action of the plungers of the cylinders 1. The ascent of the moving head 6 may be utilized for punching and slotting another blank or plate in the manner first above described, so that the motion of the plunger in both directions is made efiective in the work of the machine.

I claim as my invention- 1. The method hereinbefore described of making metal ties, which consists in forming lateral flanges on a metal plate and then cutting out the middle portion of the latter, substantially as described.

2. The method hereinbefore described of making metal ties, which consists in forming on a metal plate lateral flanges and slots 12 b, and then shearing the plate on lines extending between and beyond said slots and bending lips 0 between the sheared lines, substantially as described.

3. The method hereinbefore described of making metal ties, which consists in forming on a metal plate lateral flanges and slots 6 b, and then shearing the plate on lines extending between said slots, substantially as described.

4. The method hereinbefore described of making metal ties, which consists in forming in a metal plate slots 1) b. and holes 0 c, and then shearing the plate on the lines a o and bending the lips c, substantially as described.

5. The method hereinbefore described 01": making metal ties, which consists in forming on a metal plate notches c and slots b b, bending flanges on the plate, and shearing the plate between the said slots, substantially as described.

6. The method hereinbefore described of making metal ties, which consists in confining or, clamping a metal plate, bending lateral flanges thereon, and while confined shearing out the middle portion of the plate, substantially as described.

7. The method hereinbefore described, which consists in forming on a metal plate slots 1) b, and then shearing the plate between said slots, substantially as described.

8. The method hereinbefore described, which consists in forming on a metal plate slots 1) b, and then shearing the plate between and beyond said slots and bending lips c between the sheared lines, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of Way, A. D. 1889.

HENRY AIKEN.

Witnesses:

' THOMAS W. BAKEWELL,

W. B. CORWIN. 

